Habitual Intake of Guaraná and Metabolic Morbidities: An Epidemiological Study of an Elderly Amazonian Population

The aim of the present study was to evaluate the associations of metabolic disorders and anthropometric and biochemical biomarkers of lipid, glucose and oxidative metabolism and the habitual ingestion of guarana (Paullinia cupana, Mart. Var. sorbilis) by an elderly population residing in the Amazon Riverine region of the Maues municipality (Brazil). A case-controlled study was performed that included 637 elderly (≥60 years of age) patients classified as either those who habitually drank guarana (GI, n = 421) or those who never drank guarana (NG, n = 239) based upon their self-reported intake of guarana. Indeed, the prevalence of various metabolic disorders was associated with guarana ingestion. The prevalence of hypertension, obesity and metabolic syndrome in the GI group was lower than the prevalence found in the NG group. The NG group exhibited lower systolic and diastolic blood pressure values. The males in the GI group exhibited a lower waist circumference, on average, than the circumference found in the NG group, whereas the females in the GI group had lower cholesterol (total and LDL-c) levels than the control cohort. Additionally, a significant association was found between lower levels of advanced oxidative protein product (AOPP) and habitual guarana consumption. The results constitute the first epidemiological study to suggest a potentially protective effect of habitual guarana ingestion against metabolic disorders in elderly subjects. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.